The Northrop Grumman Institute of Optical Nanomaterials and Nanophotonics (NG-ION2) is a thematic research collaboration between Northrop Grumman Basic Research group and the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering. It is focused on the development of the next generation optical materials and their application in photonic devices and architectures. The institute architecture and environment facilitates interactions between Northrop Grumman technical staff and the participating USC researchers, thereby accelerating the research efforts at both institutions.